Bioenergy crucial to Germany’s 2030 renewables target – industry body

Clean Energy Wire

Germany is unlikely to reach its target of covering 65 percent of its electricity consumption with renewables by 2030 unless it stabilises bioenergy production, German bioenergyassociations say in a press release. Power production from biogas, wood and other biomass covers 8.5 percent of Germany’s gross power consumption – less than wind (14.6 percent) but more than photovoltaic solar (6.6 percent). It also makes a substantial contribution to renewable heat generation, the associations say. They want lawmakers to ensure that enough annual allowances for new bioenergy capacity will be auctioned off after 2022, when the closure of Germany’s last nuclear power plant will coincide with the expiry of many bioenergy installations’ 20-year support payments. “The total costs of an electricity system with 65 percent renewables would rise substantially without bioenergy,” the press release says.

Bioenergy has been one of the early pilars of Germany's Energiewende, but has faced increased scrutiny over whether growing crops for fuel is really ecologically sound.